The End Doesn't Mean It's Over
by MaLady335
Summary: Sequel to Possession. Only a week after the destruction of Namek and the abuse that those under Frieza went through is already haunting the survivors. Starts right after the first series and will end after Frieza returns to Earth. Piccolo/OC, Frieza/OC, (Mentioned) Frieza/Vegeta TW: Contains discussion of rape, rape recovery, trauma, survivors guilt.
1. Chapter 1: A New Home

While Chi-Chi and Gohan were more than willing to take me in I decided to move in with Bulma. I didn't like being in the city but since I'm carrying an alien hybrid I decided it would be best to stay near Bulma's lab. And while she starts everything with 'I'm not a biologist….' she knows human bio quite well.

The goo was cold as she squirted it onto my belly, "Now let's see if we can get a look of what's cookin' in there?"

'For someone who isn't a biologist she has a lot of biological equipment. I mean who just has an ultrasound machine lying around.' She moved it around my belly to get a look at what's been growing in me for who knows how long.

"Ok….oh… there's the head. Hm it looks rather large, do you know how far along you are?" She asked as she continued to move the picture stick around.

"I'm not sure, I'd say around 4 or 5 months? I don't really keep track of my period but that's how long I think it's been. It's hard to tell since I didn't find out I was pregnant till Namek. Is there anyway you can tell?" I questioned hoping to get a nice answer for my due date.

"Well if it was a human baby we would be able too, but since not only is it an alien it's also a hybrid we are stuck with your guesstimation. I remember Gohan took longer than average but that was before we even really thought of Goku as an alien. So we're shooting in the dark here honey. All we can hope is that the two of you can make it out in one piece." Well that's reassuring.

"Frieza mentioned that their pregnancies last as long as 20 months."

"WHAT? Well that would explain why you're not showing. I mean the guy was pretty short maybe it just takes longer to grow all that carapace and stuff. Oh well I'm not seeing a penis it looks like your probably having a girl."

"Frieza's penis wasn't on the outside." Bulma visible cringed but she kept it out of her face.

"So it'll be a surprise. And assuming your timing is right you should be due in about a year and a half." She stated.

I groaned, "I still can't get over that. I mean what are they doing in there." I gave my belly a little poke.

Bulma gave me a play slap as I got in her way, "Ah and here is the tail. Man that thing is long." She moved it around a few more time. "I think we have plenty of pictures. So….have you decided to contact your family?" She gave me a worried look.

I sighed, "No, I don't want them involved in this mess. I'd rather not have them see me like this." Bulma handed me a towel to wipe off my belly with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Do you want anything to eat? My mom's probably got something ready by now?" She asked as I pulled my shirt down and buttoned my pants back up.

'Never thought I'd be so happy just to wear a pair of jeans.'

"Yeah I can eat." Even though I was pregnant I wasn't having the 'typical' symptoms.

I was hungrier and I was noticing that it seemed like I needed to pee more with ever passing day, but I never had morning sickness. Hell I hardly even had a bump of a belly. Once we exited her sealed lab we could smell the delicious scent of food. Something with beef to be exact. Walking over to the kitchen Bulma's mom was happily chatting away at Vegeta who was completely ignoring her. Looking up at us he gave me a bit of a glare that I refused to let get to me.

"Sup Vegeta. Smells like you've been training all morning." I sat down on the counter next to him just to get on his nerves.

"Here you are sweetie. Are those the pictures? Can I see them?" Panty was the gushing mother I wasn't.

I handed her the pictures and she cooed at them like it was her own grandchild and not some stranger's alien hybrid baby.

"Do you have any idea's for names yet?" She asked excitedly.

Vegeta huffed in annoyance and we all proceeded to ignore him, "Not really. Nothing's popped out yet and I think I'd rather wait till I meet them." I gave my little bump a rub as a warm feeling flooded me at the thought of meeting whatever strange person was growing inside me.

Vegeta gave an audible groan. Tired of his pissy attitude I gave him a punch in the arm. Of course it couldn't hurt him but he gave me a mad look.

"Why do you have to be such a downer all the time?" I demanded starting to get sick of him already.

He looked like he was considering storming off but that food was more important at the moment. "I don't know why are you keeping the thing?" I gave him another punch, one that hurt my hand and still did nothing to him.

"Well Mr. Smiley, why do you feel the need to have opinions on MY decision? In what possible way will me having my kid affect you?" I questioned, really getting tired of how annoying he's been all week.

"It does if it decides to start taking over planets like it's father. I don't see why you would risk it? Why would you choose to have his kid?" He grunted out, doing good for him at keeping his temper.

"First of all, this is gonna be a completely different person from Frieza and half human. None of us have any idea how they're gonna turn out so it's not fair to them or me to put that shit on us. Secondly this kid isn't his it's MINE. He's gone and he just wanted them for some probably messed up legacy thing. I want them because fuck Frieza. I'm not gonna let him ruin this kids life like he ruined mine, or yours." That set him off.

He kicked his chair back slamming it through the wall before stomping out of the room. The sound of a busted pipe let us know about the water pooling in the next room. But I wouldn't let that asshole control how I feel. I sat down and ate my lunch. Bulma followed after Vegeta and Panty looked like she missed what just happened.

A few Namekians passed by chatting away. They gave the busted wall a wary look.

"My what happened to the wall?" She asked as she turned around.

"Vegeta threw a temper tantrum." I mumbled out.

I finished my lunch in what should have been an awkward silence but I was too annoyed to notice. Once I was done eating I went outside to cool off a bit. Namekians were all over talking, walking around, doing whatever they could to help pass the several months till they could get their new planet. Since they were asexual they had no idea what a pregnancy was, depending on the person they would either be curious or grossed out when I explained what was happening to me. Looking around I saw Bulma heading my way, she looked mad.

"Didn't go well huh?" I asked.

"UH why does he have to be so infuriating?" She huffed out.

"I know right? He's been better since Namek but he seriously needs an attitude adjustment." Bulma left to get herself something to eat.

For the next week I didn't see hide nor hair of Vegeta. It was obvious he was straight up avoiding me. Which was fine by me. If he can't not be an ass then he can play by himself.

Soon I was being plagued with nightmares. The first few weeks of being back home were almost blissful. But apparently repression and avoidance aren't permanent solutions.

It was one of my reoccurring dreams, the one where I would try to roll over in bed to be trapped. Frieza's arm pulling me to him. His sharp claws traveling down to my belly. Frozen I couldn't say anything, even if I tried. It was like my mouth was glued shut.

"Do you really think I would allow you to love something more than me?" I would start sobbing as he would slowly start to press down on my stomach.

His sadistic smile filling my vision.

I awoke alarmed, my body was on edge as the shock wave left my body. Getting up I left my room to see several of the Namekians looking just as confused as I was. A cloud of dust was dissipating down the hall. Curious as to what happened I went towards it.

Turning down the hall I saw Bulma, her dad, and mom all staring into a massive hole in the wall. They looked scared. Vegeta was on the other side grabbing at his head like he was gonna tear his hair out. He punched the wall so hard he now had a direct view of the garden three rooms away.

Bulma had tears in her eyes, "Ve..Vegeta?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He yelled.

Terrified the Namekians and Briefs fled. Bulma hesitated, she looked over at me, confused at my calm exterior before going back to her room. His shoulders were shaking as he sat with his head between his knees. Going through his newly made door I stood next to his bed.

"Hey Vegeta?"

"Go away!" He growled out.

"It's alright."

"Shut up." He dug his fingers further into his scalp.

"I know it hurts."

"I said leave me alone." Vegeta curled further into himself.

"It's not your fault."

"Why won't you just leave?" He demanded.

"Because I have nightmares too." His shaking lessened.

"Really?"

I sat down on the bed, "Yeah, most of mine are about Frieza finding me. What are yours about?"

Vegeta's turned to look at me, "Mine's usually about…." He started before tensing up.

Moving closer I wrapped my arms around his back. Hugging him gently I could feel the tremors ripping through him.

"Are they about your 'private meetings'?" He pulled away from me, turning around he gave me a suspicious look.

"How do you know about that?"

"I guessed. After awhile I noticed he smelt different after his 'meetings'. I was around him all day everyday, so when he smelt not like himself with a whiff of sweat I knew something was up. It wasn't until the incident with Zarbon did I realize what exactly he was doing." Vegeta stared me down as I spoke, shame painted all over his face.

"It's not your fault Vegeta." He looked away trying to avoid this conversation.

I sighed, "Vegeta we are the only people who survived being under Frieza. So I know how much this sucks. When your ready to talk about it come get me." I started to get up but he grabbed my wrist.

Looking at him he didn't say anything, "Do you want me to stay for a little bit?" He nodded.

Sitting back down I leaned onto him. He didn't move to accept or reject my touch so I just stayed there. We sat there in comfortable silence for several hours, just coming to grips with the knowledge of each others mutual pain. Once my eyes started to droop I left and went to my own bedroom. Vegeta laid back down without a word. The rest of that night I slept peacefully.


	2. Chapter 2: Mixed Emotions

Vegeta and I weren't 'friends'. At best we tolerate each other. The most I could say is that we have a mutual understanding. I still don't get why he hates me but from what I've seen he hates everyone.

He even treats the Briefs rudely and they're the ones making all his training stuff and letting him crash at their place. Not that I'm any better. The Namekians he seems pretty indifferent too, except for Piccolo who I've hardly seen since Namek.

So in that sense our relationship didn't change. We aren't friends but we have found some common ground to stand on. I didn't intend to become nightmare buddies with Vegeta. It just happened. We are the only people on the planet who've survived being Frieza's prisoners. After the nightmares started I knew it wouldn't be easy but I never grasped how hard it would be.

I started questioning everyone's motives. Poor Bulma would be so confused when she'd sigh and I'd suddenly be on high alert. I'm so used to those little warning signs that they've manifested automatic responses.

Doing anything by myself became very hard. I thought I'd be happy to be alone but it just had my warning lights going off. What if he came in and saw me doing something he didn't tell me to do? I know he's dead but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.

I found myself unable to go to the bathroom without asking someone for permission. I know I don't need to, but I grew so anxious if I didn't I would end up making a mess. It's humiliating.

Being constantly alone was the hardest. I hated him, but I missed him. He was always there. A constant terror in my life. And now I'm alone.

Bulma was doing her best to support me. But she was also dealing with Vegeta's problems. And with no training to help shield her from the emotional labor she was going through I found myself avoiding her. While Panty and Dr. Briefs were accommodating they were unable to be of any real support in that department either.

On several occasions Bulma has asked me if I wanted to see a psychiatrist. But I couldn't, what would I even tell them?

The Namekians were dealing with their own issues as well as planning their future planet and government.

So it ended with me drifting closer to Vegeta. I sure as hell didn't want to. It was a mix of him becoming the only one available while also being a survivor. I tried to not follow him around. I really did. But it was so ingrained I found it very difficult to go anywhere on my own. If it wasn't for Panty coming to get me for breakfast every morning I honestly don't know how long it would take me to leave my room of my own volition.

I was terrified of the memory of Frieza, and it was really pissing me off. It would be one thing if it was just sexual stuff. I mean I haven't tested those waters, nor do I want to just yet. But this is not the response I was expecting. My anger at myself would almost match my fear. It kept me in a perpetual loop. My emotions and memories were keeping me trapped in his world.

How long must I live like this? How long till I can move on?

I found myself sitting outside Vegeta's training room. It was becoming like clock work. My psyche was adjusting to a new schedule, Vegeta's. He never outright told me to stop or asked me to leave him alone. He would just give me his usual glare before moving on to the next part of his day. I know it's bad for me to cling to this need. I must learn to make it on my own, but I don't feel ready for it yet. Maybe if I just hold onto this one thing it'll make changing everything else easier.

After the first night we stayed up together we started going to each others rooms if we couldn't sleep. It didn't become uncommon for me to hear a quiet knock on my door late at night. I'd let him in and we'd just sit, or lay next to each other. Rarely did we ever talk, and when we did it was mostly me.

Physically I was fine, which was frustrating. I didn't have a physical anchor to latch all of my blame and pain onto. It was just me, my very being is hurt and I don't know how to fix it. The weeks turned to months agonizingly slowly.

As I rolled into my ninth month of pregnancy I was finally starting to show. The baby was doing alright as far as we could tell. Their hybrid nature made it difficult to judge. I knew I needed to get a better hold on my anxiety for the baby. It wasn't doing them any good but it's not like it's something I can just switch off.

I didn't even see Piccolo walk up till he was right in front of me.

"Oh? Hey you coming to visit the other Namekians?" I asked trying to put attention away from how I was just sitting outside waiting for Vegeta.

"No Vegeta asked me to come by and train with him." He stated in his usual gruff voice.

"Really? Thought he'd be to prideful to train with someone else."

"Me too. What are you waiting on?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing." I stood up quickly like I was gonna leave but I didn't move.

Piccolo gave me a puzzled look, "Well I'm gonna head on in." He stated.

I stood by awkwardly as he walked in. Embarrassed I walked several feet away to the nearest tree to sit alone for a bit. My eyes drifted shut for a while. Waking up with a sense of panic I scrambled to my feet.

Vegeta had woken me up with a tap on my shoulder. He huffed and walked away as soon as I stood up. Piccolo was standing next to him with an unreadable look on his face. My body was still shaking in the fear of the punishment that wouldn't come but still felt imminent. Just the knowledge of Piccolo seeing me panic over something so little had me swell up with embarrassment and shame. Not wanting to break down in front of him I bolted for the part of the atrium where the trees where thickest.

Finally alone I started sobbing at my own weakness. I felt a soft breeze that had me look over to see Piccolo sitting next to me. Feeling caught I tried to hide my face in my hair as I brushed off all the tears.

Piccolo broke the thick silence,"What do you need?"

"I don't know." Looking over at him I felt my face scrunch up ready to start crying again.

I breathed my way through it. Piccolo waited patiently while I regained control over myself.

"I wish I did know what to do. At least then I'd have the comfort that this would end." There was a long pause.

I'm not even sure if Piccolo is listening or meditating but his neutral presence was welcome.

"The worst part is that miss him. I miss living with him. It was horrible and I hated it but a part of me liked how everything was planned out for me. There was something reassuring about having a clear purpose in life. Now I'm on my own and I don't know what to do." My tears had dried into uncomfortable salt streams down my cheeks.

Piccolo spoke,"You know I grew up fighting. I was in wars before most humans could walk. And sometimes I miss it. I was treated like garbage and feared. But I was good at it, it gave me my goal of becoming the best. Coming to terms with my fighting nature while not hurting anyone was the hardest thing I've ever done. Even now I have times where I want to go back to the way it was before. But now it's a lot easier to ignore those thoughts." Listening to Piccolo I leaned into him.

His skin had a familiar texture. It was clearly not human with it's cooler temperature. I found it comforting.

"But does having those thoughts make us bad?" It was the question that has been swimming around my mind for months.

"No. At least I don't believe so. I think everyone thinks about things that are wrong or that they sometimes wish they could do without actually doing them." My whole body joined me in my sigh of relief.

It was like a lead blanket was lifted off of my shoulders. My body was snuggled up to Piccolo, sucking in all the physical contact I've deprived myself of for months. We sat in a contemplative silence for a while. It was nice just having a quiet moment.

Looking up at him a consuming urge had me leaning up to kiss him. My arms laced around his shoulders as I straddled him. His once comfortable posture froze at my invasion. Feeling him tense up I pulled back. The baffled expression on his face filled me with a mixture of confusion and shame.

"I'm sorry." I stood up and walked away.

I didn't travel far as I sat down about ten trees away with my back to him. 'Why the hell did I do that?'

It was difficult to even attempt to identify what I was feeling. I had no idea where that random flare of arousal came from.

I heard him come up behind me, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok I was just….surprised." He added. "Do you wanna head back?"

I felt surprisingly tired by the amount of emotions rolling through me.

"Yeah, I could do with a nap." Piccolo walked me back to the main room.

He gave a simple goodbye before leaving me alone. I felt even more tired after he left. There was no one else in the room and I started to feel anxious being all on my own.

I headed to the kitchen hoping to find someone there. Unsurprisingly Vegeta was eating through his third bowl of noodles.

He glanced up at me, "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit." I slumped down next to him not really up for our usual back and forth.

He pushed an untouched bowl too me. I began to eat lazily, while I was hungry all the time I still couldn't compete with Vegeta in an eating contest. We ate in silence as I tried to process my emotions. When Vegeta finished he stood up to leave. I was gonna follow him but I was just too tired.

"I'm gonna take a nap." I stated before heading straight to my room.

I woke up groggily. It was dark outside and I felt kinda gross from sleeping in my cloths. Changing into my pajamas I heard a quiet knock at the door.

"Just a minute." I said.

Once dressed I crawled back into my bed.

"Ok you can come in." Vegeta tentatively pushed the door open.

Without saying a word he laid on the bed so we were back to back. He always took deep breaths like he was trying to keep everything under control. It was impossible to avoid hearing it. With Frieza I rarely ever heard him, he was always quiet with the appearance of calm. There was something comforting in how different he was from Frieza.

"So I kissed Piccolo." I said it as the thought passed through my mind.

I felt Vegeta turn around, "Why?" He asked.

"I don't know. I just kinda did it. The urge just came out of no where. I apologized but I still feel bad about it." I paused thinking it over, "He was just trying to help and I go and try to stop him what does that say about me?"

Vegeta shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe you don't want any help."

"Are you ever….Do you ever think about whether you can have a normal relationship after that?" It was one of those little things that kept pulling at the back of my mind.

He rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "Without Frieza being there I've slept with two people. Both of which weren't anything I'd really want. I don't know, I try not to think about it."

"I'd been in a few relationships before but I don't know if I could be with anyone without Frieza coming in and ruining everything."

"Frieza made me rape a girl when I was fourteen. Told me it was time for me to 'become a man'. He stood by and watched, then he made me kill her." He said quietly.

"He made me watch as he rapped Zarbon."

"Really? I always thought Zarbon had a thing for Frieza?" His voice held a bit of disdain in it.

"I don't think so. He just knew it wasn't worth fighting it. Frieza only got brutal when it was a punishment."

"Than he was almost always punishing me."

"Well you do always refuse to back down from a fight." I could see him give the barest hint of a smile.


	3. Chapter 3: Early Arrival

Sixteen months in and I was looking pretty pregnant. Things were getting easier. I was still no where near where I was before I was kidnapped. But now I could do things on my own. Which is a massive step forward for me. It's become very useful since it feels like I need to pee every five minutes.

Bulma says things are looking good according to the tests. My ankles would say something different. Panty was practically fawning over me like I was baby bird. It was sweet but smothering. Bulma was concerned about how tired I was and tried to keep me in bed all the time. But there is only so many hours I can stand laying in bed in a single day.

I went on little walks around the facility. The atrium was always nice, I enjoyed the trees and animals. Since the Namekians left for their new planet the place felt empty. Gohan still visited a couple times a month but I was still pretty lonely.

Oddly enough Piccolo stared coming around more after our awkward encounter. He assured me that he wasn't offended and we got along pretty well. I enjoyed his calm silence. It seems like he's gotten lonely now that all the Namekians left. Since Gohan was back with his mom Piccolo was on his own again. It was nice having company with someone I actually liked.

Vegeta was either learning how to be less of a shitty person or I was just getting used to him. Once we started talking to each other about all the fucked up shit we went through it made living with each other easier.

My ankles were pulsing like hell but I ignored them as I waddled around. A familiar sensation of the baby pushing on my stomach had me stop for a moment. Their tiny little hand swiped along my belly. It's was more painful that I initially thought it would be. After a few breaths they decided they were done exploring and stopped.

The sudden need to pee had me moving as fast and my sore ass ankles would allow to the nearest bathroom. Vegeta came in heading to his training area. He stopped and watched me, amused. I'd tell him to fuck off if I didn't need to pee so bad.

I felt liquid trickle down my legs. 'Goddammit, this hasn't happened in months.'

But then I still needed to pee. Pulsing pressure started to radiate through my body. I felt a sense of dread flow through me.

"Vegeta…." I said quietly.

He looked like he was going to say something to mock me till he saw the panic in my face.

"It's to early." Understanding dawned on him.

Without a moment of hesitation he scooped me up as gently as possible and went to find Bulma. I was trying to not hyperventilate as we found her in her lab. She was working on something mechanical.

"Bulma my water just broke." She flipped off her welders mask.

"What?" She walked over and started rubbing on my belly.

"Wow they are on the move. Vegeta take her into my bio lab and set her in one of the beds."

She started pulling off her equipment while Vegeta did as she said. He sat me down and waited with me till Bulma showed up. It didn't take her long. As soon as she walked through the door Vegeta bolted. Bulma rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

With her help I was able to change into a gown and get back on the bed. She started feeling up my stomach again.

"Bulma it's to early." My voice cracked as I tried not to cry.

"I know dear. But what we need to focus on is helping them out as safely as possible. Now I'm gonna need to check in is that alright?" I nodded.

A wave of pain crashed through me so I barely even noticed her fingers feeling up the situation.

"Ok it feels like their coming now. So you need to focus on breathing ok." Another contraction hit me even faster.

Doing what she said I tried to put all my attention on my breathing and not about how they were four months early. The contractions escalated within just a few minutes. It all seemed to happen so quickly, the pain of them coming out was less than I expected. Bulma was holding them with an alarmed look on her face. As soon as they took their first breath they started wailing.

"What's wrong? Please give them here?" She handed them over.

"I….I don't know what to do." Bulma stated.

I started sobbing. They were so very small. Their carapace which should be hard and firm was soft, their dome had a dull shade to it. They were screaming like they were in massive amounts of pain. Their tail wrapped around my arm squeezing with surprising strength as they tried to find an outlet for their pain.

"What's wrong?" I sobbed.

Bulma looked terrified. "I don't know."

Holding them close I cried uncontrollably. Moving my hand down their face their skin felt so dry. Struck with a thought I lifted them up gently and ran my finger down the length of their spine. The thin layer cracked as I began to peel away a layer of shed skin.

As the skin pulled away their cries lessened. Bulma looked on confused.

"Are they shedding their skin already?" I didn't answer as I pulled them out to clean, slightly smoother skin.

Their screaming stopped. A wave of relief flowed through me. Pulling off my gown a bit I helped them latch on. The quiet seemed to remind Bulma what to do next. She went about cutting the cord and handing me a blanket to wrap them in.

They were so small. Their little dome still looked duller than I thought it should and their carapace was still too soft. Once they were done eating Bulma weighed them and did a few other quick tests. But as soon as she handed them back to me they started crying again. Stroking their cheek I could tell their skin had already started to dry already.

"How often are they suppose to shed?" Bulma asked looking a little worried.

I started the process of helping them shed again. "Frieza shed about twice a year but he was also way older than me. I have no idea how often a child should shed."

It was a bit worrying but at least I knew what to do about it. They quieted down just as quickly as last time. It seems so odd that not even at 6lbs and they were rearing to come out into the world. We didn't get much sleep that day. They shed their skin five more times, each with a longer cooling period. By the morning of their second day they seemed done with their shedding. I felt exhausted but I knew looking at their shining maroon dome and bright red eyes that they were gonna be ok.

Bulma didn't look to good herself. "Do you know what your gonna name her?" She asked as she went about disposing of the placenta.

"I was thinking Rhea." She continued to fuss in her blanket.

"That's a nice name." Bulma added finishing up a few other things.

Rhea pushed her way out of her blanket. Her small body immediately clinging to my chest. She calmed down instantly, her long tail trying to coil around my body.

"It's hard to believe she's only two days old with how she acts." Bulma commented.

Rhea was showing the muscle control of a child closer to a year old and her strength was amazing. I bet if I stood up she would still be holding on without any assistance. Bulma looked extremely curious.

"Do you think her race comes out as ready as her?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know. I never saw any children of Frieza's race or even women. The impression I got was that most stay on their home planet. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they do." She had fallen asleep. "It's crazy how much she looks like him huh."

Bulma gave me an unreadable look. She did look almost exactly like his final form. The only difference being the color of her dome.

"Are…..are you gonna be ok?" Bulma asked hesitantly.

I blinked a few times clearing my thoughts, "I think so. Or at least I hope so."

I stayed in Bulma's lab for another two days for recovery. Since Rhea was so small there was no tearing but it didn't stop me from feeling as sore as hell. My genitalia had a general throbbing pain that turned into an almost numbness. Bulma informed me that it would take around a month or so for my body to completely recover. Not that I had any plans to use any of those bits in the coming future.

Once out of the lab Bulma moved my room so I had an attached room for Rhea when she got older. For now though I found it comforting to have her sleeping with me. I remember several of my family members arguing with their spouses about when they should move the baby out of their room. There was definitely something nice about knowing I could go at Rhea's and my own pace without any added stress.

For the first week I didn't think about how I didn't see much of Vegeta. I rarely left my room and when I did Rhea was clinging to me like she was strapped into one of those chest contraptions. Her claws had come in and hardened with her shedding but she never dug them in. It was surprising to see a newborn have more control over herself then every full grown cat I've ever meet.

It was only as it rolled into the second week and I started walking around more did I notice he would out right turn around if he saw me coming. I wanted to be mad about it but I felt more empty than anything. The fear of postpartum depression hung over my head. I didn't want to tell Bulma about it, at least not yet.

I wasn't upset at Rhea, she was so quiet, cuddly, and her eyes held so much intelligence and curiosity. It just hurt to look at her, more than I thought it would anyway. Vegeta avoiding me made it easy to bottle it up. I wanted to talk to him about it but a part of me feared that he would mock me for it.

Gohan and Chi Chi came by at week three. He was always so happy and helpful. I let him hold Rhea for a while as Chi Chi and I talked. While I disagreed with how she parented it was nice to talk to someone who also had an alien child. Though Gohan didn't look it.

Rhea seemed to like Gohan. She smiled at him and liked playing peekaboo with him. Though it was concerning me that she was so quiet. Outside of cries while shedding she rarely made any noise. She didn't giggle or laugh. It wouldn't be concerning since children her age rarely did either of those things. But she was already showing advanced development closer to a child of around three months if Chi Chi's estimation was right.

"I wouldn't get too worried over it. Gohan was a very advanced physically as a baby. But a lot of other things went about as normal as you'd expect. So I would try not to get hung up on things like that. She's gonna be different, she'll grow at her own pace." Chi Chi's words were reassuring.

I itched to talk about how I was feeling but I held that in. I didn't want to burden Chi Chi with my problems. She had her own family to deal with. Gohan was sad to leave and started asking his mom when she was gonna have another baby. It made me very happy to see Gohan get so attached to her. It validated my own feelings which was something I didn't realize that I needed.

Outside of that I felt very alone.

I hate to admit I started crying a lot more. Apart of me was terrified, I had no idea what I was doing. How could I have thought that I could manage this on my own. I did my best to not cry in front of Rhea, she may only be a baby but I don't want her to see me like that. That first month was all around horrible.

When Piccolo came by for his usual training I felt anxious about talking to him. If he hadn't seeked me out I probably would have avoided him the whole time he was there. Rhea and I were in the atrium. She was laying out in the grass, once again trying to learn how to crawl. She had a lot of strength in those limbs but not the coordination to get anywhere yet.

Piccolo was quiet, like always and just sat down next to me without saying anything.

"Hey." I said, unsure what to say to him.

"So this is her?" Piccolo was watching as Rhea tried to roll onto her stomach.

"Yeah. She's always in a hurry it seems." I smiled.

"I didn't think she'd be so small?"

"Me neither." Feeling anxious I went to grab Rhea to delay.

Her big red eyes stared up at me. A little smile on her face. She looked over at Piccolo curiously.

"Do you wanna hold her?"

"Sure." Rhea seemed fine with me passing her on to Piccolo.

She was staring up at him fascinated.

"She looks a lot like him huh." I stated.

"Does that bother you?" He asked letting Rhea play with his hand.

"Sometimes. I just didn't think it'd bother me so much."

"I don't think it'd be easy for anyone. But she's already very different from her father. Just look at the way she smiles." She was covering her eyes with Piccolo's hands like she was playing peekaboo.

Her smile was a real smile. Not the smug self aggrandizing one I've been subjected too. She looked so happy to just be playing a little game by herself. It definitely helped to see how different she was from Frieza. Maybe if I just looked at how different she is from him the parts that are similar won't be so bad.

I felt so tired, I leaned on Piccolo and we just watched Rhea silently for a little while. Something about Piccolo's presence was so calming and reassuring. With him holding Rhea so gently it made me want to just sit like that forever.

"Piccolo, I think I'm falling in love with you." I stated.

I refused to look up and see the expression on his face, "I don't know what to say to that." He started, "I've never been in any kind of relationship. But I do know I like being around you more than anyone else."

A sigh of relief escaped me. He moved his arm to wrap around my waist. Curling into him had me feeling so comfortable and safe. Rhea was yawning, it was about time for her nap. The whole experience made my life feel a little more bearable.


	4. Chapter 4: Confrontation

Piccolo started coming by a couple of times a week for hours on end. We would normally just sit and sometimes talk. Piccolo was usually quiet, not that I was much of a chatter box.

Rhea was absolutely loving having him around. She really seemed to like having someone other than me paying attention to her. Not that Bulma, Panty, or Dr. Briefs didn't. They just had their own work going on and Piccolo as far as I can tell doesn't do much. From what I could tell Namekians lived exclusively on water. There was possibly some photosynthesizing but I'm not a biologist so I don't know what's going on.

Him being around helped ease my loneliness a lot. Piccolo was very reliable and surprisingly comfortable with cuddles. It was nice. I wouldn't say we were together. I'm not really sure what we are but we didn't fit into any traditional category. He seemed happy enough with hanging around me to keep coming back and that's all I really want.

Vegeta was still avoiding me. The shit was too fast for me to ever catch him. If I didn't know any better I'd think he'd left. But Piccolo assured me he was there for his training and Bulma would see him sulking around like usual. He was only hiding from me and it was getting really old.

So with Piccolo's help I set a little plan in motion to confront him. Vegeta spent hours in his training area and he rarely opened it up for anyone. Piccolo would be let in for training and I was going to slip in with him. That way if he tries to skip out Piccolo could help me wrangle him. I decided to leave Rhea with Panty. The worry that Vegeta would lash out at her still on my mind.

The first part of the plan went smoothly. Piccolo and I entered the training room without incident. Vegeta was there looking as angry as ever. He immediately tried to side step Piccolo but he blocked the door.

"Out of my way." He grumbled at Piccolo.

"Vegeta why do you keep avoiding me you ass?" I asked angrily.

"I just wanna be left alone."

"That's bullshit. You still hang around Bulma, Piccolo, and the others. Now why are you avoiding me?" Vegeta was getting angrier by the second.

"I don't have time to fucking deal with this." He then burst through the wall.

Piccolo was on him with a punch to the face faster than I could react. I ran over to them.

"What is your problem?" I yelled in frustration.

"NOTHING." He yelled back.

"That's a lie and you know it." The commotion had the Briefs come into the atrium.

Panty was standing by holding Rhea. Seeing them I went and stood between Vegeta and them. Oddly he flashed me a hurt look before he flew off. Piccolo walked over to me.

"You ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine. What about you?"

I stared up where I last saw Vegeta. "I think I'll be alright." I paused for a moment to think, "I just hope I didn't fuck something up."

Bulma was mad at Vegeta for breaking the shit she made for him.

"Panty I'll take Rhea. Thanks for watching her." She smiled.

"No problem sweetie." She and the rest of the Briefs went back to whatever they were doing.

I went and gave Piccolo a hug, "Sorry I couldn't help more." He said.

"It's alright. Thanks for helping anyways."

Later that night I was having trouble getting to sleep. I laid there and watched Rhea sleep peacefully. There was a quiet knock on my door.

"Come in." I whispered.

Vegeta came in and sat down on the edge of my bed. He looked over at Rhea.

"Do you really think I'd hurt her?" His voice was quiet.

"You don't exactly inspire confidence in the self control department."

"I'm not mad at you." He stated.

The tension eased out of my body.

"It's just when I look at her." He paused. "It brings a lot back."

"I've been having that problem too." He looked over at me surprised.

"She makes me so happy but I see a lot of Frieza in her. What helps the most is to pay attention to her differences."

"So you've been hanging out with Piccolo a lot." He apparently decided he was done with that conversation.

"Yeah."

"Why?" I gave him an annoyed look.

"Because I like him."

"You know he's asexual right?" He stated.

"So?"

"So what's your plan with him?"

His questioning was really starting to piss me off. "I don't know. Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Then why are you asking?"

He didn't respond.

"Dude are you jealous? I thought you liked Bulma? Look I know..."

"I don't like you like that." He interrupted.

"Then why are you making this all weird?"

He shrugged.

"It's not like we won't see each other. You're the one avoiding me remember."

"Like I even want to see you." He said defensively.

"Says the man who came to visit me. Are you worried we won't be friends?" I teased.

"We aren't friends."

"Good cause you're an asshole."

The conversation then devolved into our usual back and forth of insults. Rhea woke up as we had stopped whispering by this point. Seeing that Rhea was up Vegeta left without a word.

"He's an ass ain't he Rhea." She yawned before cuddling into my chest.

Finally things were getting back to normal. With Vegeta back to being his bitchy self it was starting to get down right pleasant around here. After another month I started helping Bulma out with her work.

We study very different fields but I helped her out when I could. I even started writing essays again. None of them were getting picked up but it's progress. I was growing more comfortable with Piccolo each day.

"Piccolo." When he came in and I practically tackled him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Where's Rhea?"

"She's napping." We headed into the atrium.

He lounged under a tree and I laid on top of him like a cat sprawled out over a keyboard. Looking up at him he had his eyes closed. I pulled myself up so we were nose to nose.

"You asleep?"

"No." He kept his eyes closed.

"Do you even need to sleep?" I asked curious.

He shrugged, "Not really. I rest but I'm never fully unconscious. "

"Weird. Hey Piccolo."

"What?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "Where do you live?"

"I usually rest in a cave in the desert."

"How would you feel about living in a house in the desert?" He opened his eyes.

"You wanna live with me?" He sat up so I was straddling him.

"Yeah. Rhea absolutely adores you and I miss you when you leave."

He rested his chin on the top of my head. His arms wrapping around me.

"Is that really want you want? There are still plenty of people who refer to me as a daemon. Besides the fact that I'm not human. And I can't exactly…...do all the things a human can." He said confused.

"Do you really think I care about any of that? I like you, a lot. When I'm with you I feel like I can be myself. I don't feel like I'm just a burden when I'm around you." I ran my hands up his neck to brush along his face. "If you don't want me around that's ok. Just tell me that's what you want."

"I do want you around. I just don't want you to give up anything for me." He looked so uncomfortable and raw.

"Piccolo I gave up on most things a long time ago. Trying to get them back is what's hard. And in a lot of ways I don't even want those things."

"Do you really want to stay with me?" His hands were shaking a bit as they ran down my arms to gently grasp my hands.

"Yes dumb dumb. How many times do I need to tell you?" I teased.

Leaning forward I left just enough room for him to back out if he wanted to. He closed the gap in a chaste kiss. I smiled into the kiss. Pulling me apart he gave me a rare smile. His fangs lookin' all cute. I gave him another peck on the lips.

It didn't take long to make the proper plans and stuff. Bulma was more than happy to give me a capsule house and car. The hardest part was finding a spot where we could build a well. While Piccolo could fly anywhere at the speed of sound I couldn't.

Once we found a good spot Piccolo went about building the well at amazing speeds while I set up the house. Bulma gave us a two bedroom house with a good sized living room, kitchen, and dining area. Like usual Rhea stayed on me watching curiously. She still hasn't grown much despite her frequent sheddings. It took less than an hour or two for Piccolo to build the well. The more annoying part was hooking it up to the house. That took the rest of the day to finish.

Even then we got set up rather quickly. After all the work was done it was nice to sit on my own couch. Piccolo hadn't broken a sweat at all the shit.

"I envy your stamina." I said feeling tired.

"It has it's perks." I gave him Rhea while I went to take a nice long shower.

By the time I was done Rhea was asleep in her bed. Going into my own room Piccolo was sprawled out with his shirt off in what I would assume was an attempt at a sexy pose.

I held in a laugh, "What's are you doing?"

"Well I thought we could do the sex." He said in all seriousness.

I laughed before falling onto him. I gave him a long kiss.

"I love you."

"Is this how we initiate the sex?" I giggled.

"You just say sex, not the sex. And yes kissing is usually how people start. I didn't think you'd be interested being asexual and all?" He shrugged.

"I'll do it if it makes you happy. I just don't have the equipment."

"Oh while the equipment is nice there are other ways of having sex?"

"Really? Well I have a lot to learn then."

It looked like he was attempting to give me a sexy look. However it just had him waggling his eyebrows.

I laughed, "Stop. Your gonna make me cry." I got out between giggles.

"Well I know crying is not how people have fun doing sex."

"Having sex. Your terrible at this and I love it." I kissed him feeling happier than I had in years.


	5. Chapter 5: The Return

1 YEAR LATER

Rhea was over a year old now. Despite her small size she acted more like a 4 year old. She talked in full sentences, understands things pretty well and is walking and talking like it's nobodies business. Size wise she would be about the size of an average 6 month old.

Making breakfast she came out rubbing her eyes.

"Morning. I made eggs." She climbed up onto the chair.

She started eating, "Where's dad?" She asked.

"He went off to train with the guys."

"Why couldn't we go? I wanna play with Gohan." Her voice was light even when she was whining.

"Oh don't pout. We'll go over later. I wanted to finish some gardening. Would you like to help?" I asked knowingly.

She perked up, "Yeah." Her tail swaying happily behind her.

I ate with her and she told me about her dream where she was an elephant stuck in a tree.

After breakfast and dishes were done we went out to the greenhouse. While I could go into town with the car it was nice growing at least a portion of our food myself. It was also something Rhea enjoyed doing. Even though Rhea acted a lot older she still was only one in some ways. She still loved being carried around. It wasn't like she was heavy or anything so I let her cling to me. It kept her from grabbing at things she wasn't suppose to at least.

We were checking the carrots when I started to feel weird. It was a familiar cold sensation that was pulling at me.

"Mommy your neck is glowing."

'No.' Before I could react we were gone.

In less than a blink we were no longer standing in the warm greenhouse. We were standing in a ship.

"See father? And you say I invest to much money into these things." I heard the well-known voice behind me.

'No.'

"It has been useful in this instance but I still think it's a waste. Those gems are costly." Another voice I wished to never hear again answered.

"Well turn around. Let's have a look at you." That hated voice demanded.

I was shaking as I complied. Rhea was looking up at me so confused. King Cold and Frieza were standing only a few feet away from us. Frieza looked like his last form but was half robotic.

"She even has the child. A two for one wouldn't you say?" Frieza stated with that infuriating grin on his face.

"I suppose so." King Cold had a calculating look on his face.

"Now pet come here." Frieza demanded.

My body was rooted on trembling legs, "You're suppose to be dead."

Frieza rolled his eyes. Or rather eye and robotic eye.

"Yes that Saiyan did a number on me but I'm still here." He pointed to the floor in front of him. "Now come here."

Tears were rolling down my face. "Why are you back? Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" My trauma was rolling back so many things I'd moved past.

Frieza clenched his jaw. His tell that he was getting angry.

"For your information I didn't come here for you. You're just an added bonus. I know it's been a while so I'm being patient. But if you are not standing in front of me in the next 10 seconds I will break something." His tone drifted from annoyance to malice.

"No." My trembling froze at Rhea's loud and clear statement.

"What?" Frieza looked furiously at Rhea.

I wrapped my arm around her in a poor attempt to protect her.

"My mom doesn't have to go anywhere she doesn't want to. Who do you think you are ordering her around?" Rhea's voice was so self-assured.

"I am your father." Frieza's whine would have been hilarious if I wasn't so terrified.

"You can't be my dad. I'm not a cyborg." She said in such a matter of fact way.

It looked like Frieza was about to launch himself at her. The only thing stopping him was his father's hand gripping his shoulder. King Cold looked very amused.

"Now my dear he is your father and do you know who I am?" His tone was patronizing but like all children Rhea didn't quite have the understanding to be offended by it.

"No." She looked at him suspiciously.

"I am your grandfather, King Cold. Do you know what that makes you?" She looked up her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"What?" She asked.

"That makes you a princess." Her face light up.

She was so young she didn't even understand the concept of hiding your emotions yet.

"If you'd like I can show you what you're the princess of?" She looked up at me unsure.

"What about mom?" She asked worried.

His eyes were calculating, "Your father and her need to catch up." He gave his son a look, "She will be fine."

She looked back at me. While I didn't trust that Cold wouldn't throw me under the bus. I knew I could trust that he wouldn't hurt his granddaughter. Family seems to be the only consistent thing he cares about.

I forced a smile on my face, "Go on. Have fun with your grandfather." Rhea was too young to see that I was forcing it.

She hopped off to head to Cold. She gave Frieza a wide birth and an angry look. Rhea was so small compared to King Cold. His hand was bigger than her. I knew she would be safe with him but it didn't stop the fear. They left out the door leaving Frieza and me alone.

The tremors returned so I stared at the floor. Fear was the main thing running through me as I heard him approach. His walk was different. It wasn't the soft, quiet gait I knew. The metal of his legs gave a harsh sound. His metal tail only added to the mechanical sound of his approach. His metal hand grabbed my chin and forced me to look up.

He didn't look as angry as he was a few minutes ago. His hand gave a strange warmth, like that of a running computer. It even gave off a similar hum that could be heard in the quiet room. His grip was painful. The tears still hadn't stopped. He stared at me with a blank look on his face.

"Stop crying." I sniffled and tried my best to hold back the tears.

"I should have left you on the station. Then you wouldn't be so out of sorts." He said.

"Out of sorts? I was happy. I was finally getting back to a normal life. Why did you bring me back?" I whimpered.

He looked at me critically. "I've gotten rather attached to you. Besides you had the child. Father insisted that we pick her up first."

Pulling me to him it was hard to tell if it was because he was in his final form or if it was due to the metal enhancements. But we were almost the same height. His robotic eye had a glow to it. He leaned in and ran his lips along my jaw. I was still trembling.

"It won't take long to get rid of this planet then things will go back to the way they are supposed to be."

"I don't want that." My voice broke but I was able to hold back the tears.

"Have you forgotten? What you want doesn't matter." His grip around my waist tightened, "It's to be expected that you'd forget your place. If I was a less patient man I'd get rid of you."

He pulled back smirking. His threat wasn't lost on me. I was finally starting to gain control of myself. The robotic arm pulled me in for a kiss. I stayed still. That strange warmth emanated even more so from his face. Pulling back he looked so pleased with himself.

"There are is still some time before we land. Let's go to our quarters." As if on auto-pilot I followed.

We were stopped as King Cold and Rhea were heading down the hallway towards us.

"Mommy." Rhea looked safe and happy.

"Hey little Raspberry." I picked her up.

"There is a whole planet full of people that look just like me. And grandpa said I'm gonna be a queen some day." I forced another smile.

"Well isn't that nice."

"Now Frieza why don't you go and play one of your games with your daughter? I would like to speak with her mother for a moment." Frieza nor Rhea looked to happy about that.

"I don't wanna play with him. He's mean." Rhea was too blunt for her own good.

"You'll have to do a lot of things you don't want to. And he's your father. You should spend some time with him." Rhea got down crossing her arms in a pout.

She gave me a look, "Listen to your grandfather."

Frieza was also pouting but he didn't voice any objections. While King Cold wouldn't hurt Rhea. Frieza would have no qualms with hurting her. He probably wouldn't kill her but he would hurt her if he got angry enough. I had to stand by and watch them walk away.

"Now my dear I'm sure Frieza has mentioned something about our plans for this planet?"

I nodded not really in the mood for his condescending tone right now. My eyes were still trained on where I last saw Rhea.

"It'd be best of you didn't mention it to the child for now. She's only known it so she's bound to be attached to it."

"Her name is Rhea." I muttered.

"What?"

"Her name is Rhea." I reiterated.

"For now it is. We will need to find one more suitable for her soon."

'Of course they were going to take her name away from her. Why would they let her keep anything?' I thought.

He leaned down so we were eye to eye. "And let me make this perfectly clear. I don't need you. The only reason you're alive right now is because that girl likes you. She is young enough that she would believe anything I told her about you getting sick or having an accident. However this would go a lot easier for her if you are in the picture." His large hand consumed my shoulder, "So it would be in her and your best interest if you cooperate. I'd hate to see her have to grow up without her mother."

King Cold's gaze was intense and hard. I know for a fact that he would hold me to that promise.

I nodded, "Can we please go to her. I don't like the idea of leaving her alone with Frieza."

He smirked, "Of course."

Cold lead the way down several halls. The ship seemed to be from his sons fleet with it's lack of anything decorative. We stopped at a large door. It opened to show Rhea and Frieza playing one of his strategy games. I felt pride swell at seeing the sour look on Frieza's face. It looked like he was losing.

"Hi mom. Frieza's teaching me this game." Frieza gave her an annoyed look.

"I am your father and you should refer to me as such."

Dread flooded me at the possibility of Rhea revealing that Piccolo and I were in a relationship. Frieza was frighteningly possessive. And while for now he couldn't kill me that wouldn't stop him torturing Piccolo to death.

"I'll call you what I want." I avoided sighing in relief.

She looked so small and frail next to them. I wanted to pick her up and run, but that wasn't an option. Walking over I kneeled by her.

"Have you played this game mom? It's fun." She asked.

"Yes but I'm not very good at it." I answered.

I noticed a soldier come in and tell King Cold something before exiting.

"Now Rhea I think it's time for you to take a nap." King Cold said.

Rhea did not look happy about that, "I don't wanna take a nap. I'm playing a game." She whined.

"The game will still be here when you wake up. Now go lay down." I affirmed.

She gave a pout before turning into what I assumed was a bedroom.

"We will be arriving shortly. Best for her to avoid seeing us cleanse the planet." Cold commented.

King Cold left the room. Frieza stared at me through the holo of the paused game. Sitting up from his relaxed position he patted his leg. Knowing what he wanted I went over and sat on his lap. He pulled me closer to him, his face expressionless.

"You never used to be so scared of me." He observed.

"Since when do you care about that?"

He rested his face on his robotic hand, "It makes you less fun." Frieza smirked.

"I will miss our past escapades." He sighed. "My mech body makes me more powerful but it does lack some of the more fun parts of an organic body."

His face grew stern, "Though seeing you with a Namekian makes me think that you won't be to bothered by it."

I stared at him. I attempted to keep my face impassive as a cold dread spread through me.

"Oh, did you forget?" He ran his fingers along the jewels in my neck. "I know everything you did. Was Vegeta not to your liking? I was always very fond of him." His light, mocking tone conflicted with his sharp claws running down my neck.

"You two got along so well I might even keep him around as my second pet. Would you like that? I know I would enjoy it." I bit my lip to hold in the whimper of pain. "But you know the Namekian will have to be taken care of. I haven't quite decided on the best method. Should I rip off his limbs till they stop growing back? Or simply beat him to near death till his healing stops taking affect? What do you think?"

He looked so happy at seeing my pain.

"Please stop." I whispered.

"My dear we haven't even gotten started yet." He held my head still as he gave me a kiss, "If you're begging already I can't wait to hear what comes out of your mouth as I destroy everything else."

I didn't realize I was bleeding till he whipped my blood on my cheek.

"And you know I keep my promises." I was pressed full against him.

I had my hands on his shoulders in a vain attempt to push him away. His hands were gripping me so tightly I know there would be bruises later.

'If Frieza was in his final form you'd be dead in a week.' Cold's comment from years ago rang through my head.

He was even stronger now. King Cold said that he wanted me to take care of Rhea but would he protect me from Frieza? I doubted it.

"We will need to get you a new collar. While I enjoy the jewels it is improper for a pet to have her tags without her collar. And these cloths are terrible. We'll need to get you properly dressed too."

I tensed as I felt his long metal tail start to coil around my ankle. The grip was painfully tight. A whine of pain passed my lips as I felt the bones in my ankle threaten to break.

"Mommy?" A sob broke out as I turned to see Rhea standing in the door rubbing her eyes.

"Go back to bed." I said.

"You're bleeding."

"Listen to your mother girl." Frieza stated with contempt.

Rhea glared at him. "You hurt her didn't you?"

Without warning I found myself splayed on the floor. Sitting up Rhea had pushed Frieza through the wall into the next room.

"Rhea.." A blast came out of the hole hitting Rhea in the center of her body.

The ship shook as it sent her flying.

"NO." I screamed.

I ran through the several rooms Rhea was blasted through till I stood before the breached side of the ship. I could see her form falling towards the ground below us. Without a second thought I dived after her.

"RHEA." I yelled.

She hadn't opened her eyes yet. I speed towards her doing all I could to catch up with her.

"Rhea wake up." Still nothing.

"Please wake up Rhea." I was so close.

Reaching I could almost touch her tail.

"You need to wake up." Grasping her tail I pulled her towards me.

The ground was getting closer and closer. The wind was howling in my ears.

"Rhea I need you. Please wake up." I felt the barest hint of her clinging.

The roaring stopped. We were suspended only a few miles above ground. She looked up at me tears in her eyes.

"Are you ok?" She cried.

"I'm fine. Are you ok?"

"He was hurting you."

"Yes he was."

"I don't want him to be my dad." She cried.

"Then he's not your dad." I stated.

She stopped crying.

"Can you find Piccolo and the others?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Then lets go. Before Frieza brings us back."

Rhea flew us to where Piccolo, Vegeta, and the others were waiting. Piccolo looked so relieved to see us.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Frieza used the jewels to teleport us onto the ship."

I'd always appreciated how Piccolo never commented or cared about the jewels in my neck. But now he was glaring at them.

"I've got an idea. Give me a senzu bean." Krillen tossed him one.

"Put this in your mouth. I'm going to rip them out. You'll need to eat it as soon as I do. And hopefully this will work. You ready?"

I took a deep breath. His claws wrapped around the center jewel as he waited for my permission. I put the bean in my mouth and nodded.

It took several moments for the pain to kick in. Shock can be such a beautiful thing sometimes. When it kicked in it was the most painful thing I've ever felt in my life. Even when Frieza almost beat me to death it hadn't hurt like this. I had already started chewing. I felt light headed as the other two were removed. I swallowed. For a few brief moments I felt like it wasn't going to work. That I was going to bleed out here in the desert. If I did at least I died away from Frieza.

But the bean did heal me. The wounds closed up and even my sprained ankle and bruises were taken care of. Piccolo sighed in relief. He tossed the bloody jewels and before they got a few feet away they vanished.

I gave a genuine smile knowing Frieza lost this battle.


End file.
